By Margaret Badore, Source: Treehuugger

Photo © Amour Vert

One our favorite sustainable fashion brands, Amour Vert, is launching a women’s holiday collection made from the re-claimed remnants from other garment manufacturers. The party-ready items are made from unused jacquard, silk velvet and sequins that might otherwise end up in the landfill.

Critics might say that these high-fashion leftovers are less sustainably made than organic fabrics colored with non-toxic dyes, the kind that tend to be the bread-and-butter of Amour Vert’s collection. However, since we are still a long way away from all the fashion houses in the world adopting waste-free, sustainable manufacturing practices, this limited-edition approach is a happy solution for now.

“I got interested in what happens to the fabric when there is a mistake during the production process, when, for example, a garment is damaged or dyed incorrectly, or when there is excess, unused fabrics,” said Linda Balti, Amour Vert’s designer and founder. “I learned that most of the time it goes to waste, to landfills where it is incinerated or it sits on shelves at mills for years.”

One our favorite sustainable fashion brands, Amour Vert, is launching a women’s holiday collection made from the re-claimed remnants from other garment manufacturers. The party-ready items are made from unused jacquard, silk velvet and sequins that might otherwise end up in the landfill.

Critics might say that these high-fashion leftovers are less sustainably made than organic fabrics colored with non-toxic dyes, the kind that tend to be the bread-and-butter of Amour Vert’s collection. However, since we are still a long way away from all the fashion houses in the world adopting waste-free, sustainable manufacturing practices, this limited-edition approach is a happy solution for now.

“I got interested in what happens to the fabric when there is a mistake during the production process, when, for example, a garment is damaged or dyed incorrectly, or when there is excess, unused fabrics,” said Linda Balti, Amour Vert’s designer and founder. “I learned that most of the time it goes to waste, to landfills where it is incinerated or it sits on shelves at mills for years.”

Photo © Amour Vert

The collection is called “Decadence,” a seemingly tongue-in-cheek title that at once celebrates the excess of holidays and critiques the waste of the fashion world. “The collection’s name ‘Decadence’ also ties back into the context that the fashion industry has become quite decadent and wasteful when it comes to resources,” Balti said.

Another era of decadence served as Balti’s inspiration: 18th-century Rococo.

“Rococo is probably the best thing that happened to France besides the invention of macaroons and Coco Chanel,” she said. “We wanted to reflect the excess and extravagance of the Holiday season through lavish jacquard and metallic fabrics, sparkles, open backs, and layered skirts that look like cute cakes.”

The collection will be available online and in several Neiman Marcus CUSP locations.
The collection is called “Decadence,” a seemingly tongue-in-cheek title that at once celebrates the excess of holidays and critiques the waste of the fashion world. “The collection’s name ‘Decadence’ also ties back into the context that the fashion industry has become quite decadent and wasteful when it comes to resources,” Balti said.

Another era of decadence served as Balti’s inspiration: 18th-century Rococo.

“Rococo is probably the best thing that happened to France besides the invention of macaroons and Coco Chanel,” she said. “We wanted to reflect the excess and extravagance of the Holiday season through lavish jacquard and metallic fabrics, sparkles, open backs, and layered skirts that look like cute cakes.”

The collection will be available online and in several Neiman Marcus CUSP locations.